Pencil point sharpener



Oct. 14, 1952 D. W. VON KAMENICZKYQY PENCIL POINT SHARPSNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 4', 1950 INKENTOR.

FIG. I

Oct. 14, 1952 D. w. VON KAMENICZKY 2,613,645

PENCIL POINT SHARPENER 3 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1950 1952 D. w. VON KAMENICZKY 2,513,645

PENCIL POINT SHARPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED- S TA TE P NTYQ ICE Daniel weumnn' von Biameniczky,

- El nhurst, N. Y.

Application December 4, 1950, Serial No. 199,058

1 This invention relates to a pencil sharpener and has .ior itsobject to provide, an improved means for sharpening the leads of pencils.

It is another object of the invention to provide a. pencil lead sharpenerwherein the lead of the pencil will be sharpened to a perfectly concentric conical point automatically and to eliminate the need for a careful, continuous, even and steady pressure when sharpening where skill is a factor to get a truly concentric conical point. v v 1 It is another object of the invention to provide a pencil lead sharpener wherein the abrasive tube is universally ,tiltable so, that it will yield to the pressure of the lead before the breaking point of the lead is reached and whereby along lead, such as used by photon'etouohers, can be sharpened. i

It is still another object or" the invention to provide a pencil lead sharpener wherein. the abrasive tube is made so" that the abrasive cloth can be easily inserted into the abrasive tube and retained without gluing and vwherein the cloth can be easily andv quickly replaced.

It is still another object of I the'inve'ntion to provide a pencil lead sharpener wherein the lower end of the socketrneans is provided with means to wipe the leadfree from-the graphite dust automatically when withdraQwingthe pencil fromthesocket.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which? Fig. 1 is a vertical line 1-! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top planned view of a iorm oi the invention shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar. to or a modified form of the "invention; f i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the lead Wiping parts; V

Fig. 5 is a fragmentarjsectional viewtaken on line 22 of Fig. 6 and of still further form of the invention; v

Fig. 6 is a top planned viewfoi the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5.',

All parts are circular and concentric gensectional view taken on I Bfllaims. (01.12.0411) uppe'riend portion of support 2 and having central circular aperture l on its top. Support 2 and ca'p'l form support unit A. docket I0. is projected through said aperture ii and is tiltable within the support 2. The upper end portion of socket vIll is formed ,inthe shape of a bulging cylindrical head 8 and is supported on theTcapl by ,a shoulder t. The socket It is universally tiltable on..the seat iornied by said aperture on top of saidfcap 5.] The diameter of .the aperture I" in theca'pIi is much larger thanfthe" external 'diameteliof the. socket. iii. The socket I0 is centrally bored to receive penoil 6 and the lower endthereof has an inner circular groove, in which is disposed a freely rotatable resilient pencil grip ring i2 made of rubber. The bore of socket it is larger in diameter than the diameter of pencil t and the insidediameter of grip ring ii. is smaller in diameter than the untapered portion of the pencil 6.. Inside the upper portion of the head 8 there is a soft rubber grommet l. for protecting the lead 4 when inserting or withdrawing .the pencilB into or out of the socket iii.

Adjacent the aperture of cap I is a fixed split retaining ring 9 to prevent the withdrawing of v socket 10 from cap Outside the lower end portion of socket lilthere is a collar ll 'frictionally and axially movably secured thereto.

- Grommet-Lhead 8, ring Q, socket iii, collar ii and grip ring I2 constitute a tiltable socket unit B which is universally tiltable-relative to the sup-- 7 port unit. The support unit (I, 2) is preferably erally throughout the construction of the sharpmade of aluminum and the socket unit (1, 8, 9, I0, I I) maybe made of aluminum or plastic material with the exception of the soft rubber grommet I and grip vring l2 which are made of rubber material. Tube I1 is of cylindricalshape and is made of metal or, plastic material. Adjacent its upper end is an external annular groove 18' The inner wall of the tubell is abraded at l8 with the exception of a narrow strip it at its upper end. Thestrip lfi'issmooth and is of the same diameter as the abraded surface it of the tube 11.. The strip IE will limit the grinding action so that the leadwiu not be eaten up. At the lower endof the tube H is small annular groove it" in which is fixed a frustoconical funnel 9 inade in this instance or afiexible rubber material and 'through which pencil filings are dispensed; In

the upper groove 18' of tube I! is a'resilient rubber tube formed into the shape of a ring May a 3 of a split resilient metal ring 3. Ring 3, tube ring I4, ring l5, strip l6, tube l'l, abrasive surface l8 and funnel l9 constitute abrasive unit C. The abrasive unit C is supported in the support unit A by means of ring 3 which is axially adjustable on the inner wall of support 2. The ring 3 is frictionally retained in its adjusted position and becomes practically an integral part of support 2. With the exception of ring 3 the other parts of the abrasive unit C are universally tiltable relative to the support unit A and ring 3. Cup 5 is removably secured to the lower end portion of support 2 and serves to collect the graphite abraded from the pencil lead. The pencil lead sharpener is assembled as shown in Fig. 1. This pencil lead sharpener is for sharpening the long,

cil body 6 is projected into the socket l0 and is slightly pushed downward into the rubber ring I2. The rubber ring 12 will grip tapered tip l3 of the pencil body 6. The inner diameter of the socket is greater than the diameterof the pencil body so that the pencil with ring [2 can freely at the upper end by its head 8 with the fingers and thumb of a hand without touching the pencil 6, and thus a tilted circular movement is imparted to the socket loin respect to the support unit so that the lead 4 of thepencil 6 tilts the abrasive tube l l by pressingagainst the abrasive surface l8. v 1

The maximum tilting of the tube I1 occurs when the collar I I of the socket I 0 abuts the inner Wall of support 2 as shown in Fig. ,1. This maximum tilting of the tube l1 requires less force than is required to fracture the lead 4 of the pencil 6. The force required to tilt the tube 11 depends on how much the rubber ring I4 is compressed between the grooves of ring 3 and tube [1, and also of the position of the collar H which is axially tightly adjustable on the socket I 0 for selecting the proper angular degree of a maximum tiltability for both the socket l6 and rotated around its own axis automatically about i once for every five or more complete circular movements of the socket l0 without skill and an absolutely concentric lead point is obtained. The bearing of the lower end of the pencil through .30 rotate therein. The socket I0 is taken hold of ring [2 with thelower end of the socket and the upper portion of the pencil body with the upper portion of socket base causes the rotation of the pencil with the socket. Since the pencil rotates around its own axis, the socket I0 does not have to be absolutely co-axial with the abrasive tube I! to give a concentric point which means that expensive accuracy in fabricating this pencil sharpener is not essential. -When thepencil 6 rotates around its own axis it carries with it in rotation the rubber ring [2, but this ring [2 is not necessary to make the sharpener work. The ring [2 may be an integral part of the socket l0 and of hard material so that it will not grip the pencil 6, whereby pencil 6 will rotate as it does with the loose rubber ring [2.

The automatic movement of the pencil 6 around its own axis is not due to the roughness of the abraded surface l8 of tube ll. This surface may be smooth yet the pencil 6 or a straight rod will be automatically rotated in the same manner.

In Fig. 1, the pencil 6 may be dropped into the socket l0 because the bore of the socket l0 and the bore of grommet 1 are larger in diameter than pencil body 6. The rubber rin [2 will cushion the gravity impact of the pencil 6. The rubber ring [2 may either grip or not grip the pencil body 6. If it does rip, the pencil body 6 will be secured within the socket 10 against axial displacement with respect to the socket l0 but easily removable therefrom.

The lead 4 is long, the longer the lead 4 protrudes from the tip end I3 of the pencil body 6, the more easily it breaks, however, this fact is compensated by requiring less force to tilt the abrasive tube l1 and the socket Ill, due to the mechanical advantage of working on the long arm of the levers.

In Fig. 3, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the lower half of my pencil point sharpener is difierently constructed from that shown in Fig. 1. The view is taken in vertical section. The upper part of socket 20 is the same as socket ID in Fig. 1. The bore of socket 20 is larger in diameter than the diameter of the pencil body 6, except that the lower end of said bore is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the pencil body 6 and is thus adapted for receiving the tapered end of the pencil body. At the lower end of socket 20, there is attached and held securely by sleeve 2 I, oppositely positioned resilient metal strip wiping arms 22 and 22' which extend downwardly beyond the lower end of socket 20. The lower ends of the arms 22 and 22' are bent inwardly and upwardly. The upwardly bent portions are apertured respectively to hold wiping fingers 23 made of resilient soft material, The lower end of the wiping fingers 23 yieldingly touch the lead 4 of pencil 6 as the pencil is lifted from the socket. Cylindrical tube 26 has an external annular groove 26 lying a considerable distance down from the upper end of the tube as compared with groove l8 of tube l! in Fig. 1. Tube 26 has an internal, upwardly and outwardly slanted groove 26" at its upper end and on the lower end it has an upwardly and outwardly slanted wide groove 26". An abrasive cloth 28 is secured removably to the inner wall of tube 26 with the upper end of said abrasive cloth 28 wedged into the upper groove 26". A split resilient metal ring 21 of substantially triangular section is removably fitted in the lower groove to retain the lower end of the abrasive cloth upon the inner surface of the tube 26 and the upper periphery of funnel [9 in the bottom of groove 26. The abrasive cloth 28 is usually cut in the shape of a parallelogram and formed into a cylindrical tube and snugly fitted on the inner wall of tube 28.

A resilient split metal ring 24 has a circular shoulder 24' on its upper end and is axially and frictionally movable on the lower portion of the wall of support 2. A second resilient split metal ring 25 is axially and frictionally movable on the inner wall of ring 24 and its upper end is provided with an enlargement 25' thereby forming a groove for holding rubber ring M. This groove can be adjusted as to its height by the axial adjustment of ring relative to the ring 23. The outer periphery of the rubber ring l4 lies in the groove formed by the rings 24 and 25 and in the tube groove 26 whereby the tube 26 is universally tiltably supported. By being able to adjust the height of the groove formed by the rings 24 and 25, the rubber ring l4 may be more or less compressed and thereby the force required to tilt the tube 26 can be adjusted as desired. The universal tiltability of the tube 26 in Fig. 3 and tube IT in Fig. 1 converts in effect the cylindrical abrasives of said tubes into a frusto-conical abrasive surface. Smooth strips it at the upper end of tube 26 in Fig. 3 and tube IT in Fig. 1 serve to prevent the lead 4 from being cut off or eaten up by the abrasive H! in Fig. l or the abrasive 28 in Fig. 3 when sharpening the pencil lead. Strip it will also indicate when the lead 4 has been sharpened, because any further sharpening will have no efiect since the upper part of lead will slide around the smooth strip i6 and hold the tube H in Fig. 1 and tube 26 in Fig. 3 tilted and the point of the lead would have no chance of passing against the abrasive and the socket may have reached the limit of its tiltability as determined by the collar Strip IS in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 3 happens to have the same diameter a that of the abrasive I8 in Fig. 1 and that of the abrasive 28 in Fig. 3, and therefore, the strip l6 will be effective only when the lead 4 is very short.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a driving gear arrangement for tilting the socket 3|. A bevel gear 35 has a handle shaft 38 secured eccentrically and on which tubular handle 40 is freely rotatable. A circular retainer 39 is fastened to the end of the shaft 38 to retain the handle 40 thereon. A sleeve support carries shaft 36. The bevel gear 35 is rotatable on the shaft 36 and is held in place there upon by a circular retainer 3! fixed to the end of the shaft 35. A cap 30 is fitted on the upper end portion of support 29. This cap has an upwardly extended circular neck 30. Bevel gear 33 rests on the top of the cap 30 and is freely rotatable on the neck of the cap 30. A cam pin 34 is eccentrically fastened upon and upwardly projects from the top of gear 33. Gear 33 meshes at right angles with gear 35. Socket 3| is radially outwardly flanged at its upper end as indicated at 32 and this flange rests on a cam pin 34 as the gears are rotated socket 3| will be tilted relative to the support 29. The handle 60 is turned to thereby rotate gear 35 and which in turn rotates gear 33. Cam pin 34 rotates with the gear 33, but will not rotate socket 3|. Cam pin 34 merely slides on the under side of flange 32, keeping the socket 3| universally tilted, thus imparting to the socket 3| a wobbling movement. The encil body 6 will be sharpened in the manner as above described.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pencil lead sharpener comprising a support having a top portion with a guide opening therein, a pencil socket carried by the top portion and suspended downwardly through the guide opening, said pencil socket loosely fitting said guide opening to permit free tilting and rotary movement thereof, said socket being open at its lower end through which the lead end of the pencil may be projected, pencil-receiving means on the lower end of the socket for loosely supporting the lead end of the pencil for free rotation with respect to the socket and an abrasive surface carried by said support for engagement by the pencil lead, whereby as the said socket is tilted and rotated the pencil is free to rotate within said socket and to roll over said abrasive surface.

2. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 1 and a tube containing said abrasive surface on its inner surface and resilient means for connecting said tube to the support for universal tilting movement upon engagement of the pencil lead with the abrasive surface while the socket with the pencil contained therein is being tilted and rotated.

3. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 2 and abutment means on the pencil socket engageable with the support to limit the outward movement of the socket.

4. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 1 and a tube containing said abrasive surface, said tube having an external groove, said support having an internal groove opposing the external groove of the tube and a resilient tubular rin extending between said grooves and supporting the abrasive tube in a resilient universally tiltable manner.

5. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 1, and a tube containing said abrasive surface.

ring means adjustably mounted on said support, said ring means having an internal groove, said tube having an external groove lying opposite the internal groove in the ring means, and resilient means lying between the grooves of the ring means and the tube to tiltably and resiliently support said abrasive tube.

6. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 5, and said ring means comprising two rings relatively adjustable to each other, and said ring means providing the internal groove of the support, the rings upon being adjustable and serving to compress said resilient means whereby to alter the force required to tilt the tube.

'7. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 1, and gear driven cam means rotatable upon said support, said socket having a flange engageable' by the cam means to universally tilt said socket;

8. A pencil lead sharpener as defined in claim 1, and said top portion having a neck portion surrounding said guide opening, a gear rotatable about said neck portion, said gear having a cam member, means on the support to rotate said gear, said pencil socket having a flange onits top portion, said gear cam being engageable with said flange, whereby as the gear is rotated the pencil socket will be tilted and cause the pencil lead to be moved in a circular path over the abrasive surface.

DANIEL WELLMANN VON KAMENICZKY.

appearances crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland Oct. 31, 1946 

